Bilingual Educator Endorsement, Basic Certificate

The purpose of the Education Department Bilingual Educator Endorsement (BEE) program is to prepare teachers, administrators, and school service professionals who hold an Illinois Professional Educators License to meet the state endorsement requirements for the BEE. The BEE certificate will prepare teachers to teach in Bilingual classrooms in which instruction is provided in English and the students’ home language. The coursework in this certificate is specifically aligned to meet the linguistics, development, education, methods, and cultural content requirements of the state endorsements including electives and a BEE practicum experience. The Education Department believes that these endorsements are of particular importance as the number of Bilingual students in Illinois is projected to continue to rise, and there is a declared Bilingual teacher shortage. The BEE certificate will prepare teachers who have tested as proficient in a foreign language to teach in bilingual settings.